'Seven years is long enough'

Tip opens cold case for St. Johns Sheriff's Office

Authorities search for the remains of Sabrina Brazel, who was 42 when she went missing in 2006. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department Capt. John Long, right, and his cadaver dog, Wall.E, searched a wooded area in West Augustine on Monday morning.

Shuanitia Moore’s children don’t know for sure whether their grandmother is alive or dead, though she tells them their grandma is in heaven.

The oldest child was 3 years old when Sabrina Brazel was reported missing in 2006. The other children were born later.

“All they know is her picture,” said Moore during a telephone interview.

The last time Moore heard from her mother was the day before Brazel made plans to leave her home — and her husband — and stay with Moore in Georgia. Brazel, who was 42 at the time, was supposed to call her daughter, who would then drive to Florida to pick her up.

She never called.

“It’s hard. It’s very hard,” Moore said. “My kids are growing up ... not knowing what happened to my mother.”

Authorities are looking for anyone to come forward with new information in the case. On Monday, they searched a wooded area off West Fourth Street in hopes of finding Brazel’s remains.

The search continues

St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office Detective Gene Tolbert said authorities recently got a tip in the case that led them once again to the wooded area that was searched seven years ago. The area is a few blocks from where Brazel lived with her husband, Jimmie.

Brazel’s case is being investigated as a homicide, although no body has been found.

She lived on West Third Street at the time she disappeared. Since that time St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office officials have conducted several searches in the area.

Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department Capt. John Long and his cadaver dog, Wall.E, a golden retriever, searched a densely wooded area next to railroad tracks again. Long gave commands to the dog as they both crunched through the woods, but it picked up no scent.

Tolbert said Brazel made arrangements to move in with her daughter shortly before she was officially listed as missing on Aug. 22. She had already put some things in storage.

Family and a friend said she was leaving her husband. Deputies were called the house in August 2006 about a fight involving the couple. Jimmie Brazel was not home at the time.

He was eventually arrested on a domestic battery charge that officials said was unrelated to the case. The the charge was dropped a few months later.

Jimmie Brazel is a person of interest in the case, Tolbert said. That means detectives believe he has more information about the case. However, the Sheriff’s Office has not named any suspects.

After Brazel’s disappearance, detectives followed legitimate leads in the investigation as far away as Avon Park. But the case has ended up among Sheriff’s Office cold cases.

Tolbert is hoping the public will help change that.

“Seven years is long enough,” Tolbert said. “A day is long enough.”

Known by pictures only

For Moore, pictures are how her children know their grandmother. For Joyce Smiley, pictures are all that she has to remember her best friend.

She keeps pictures of Brazel posted in her home. There’s a picture of the two of them at a party and another at the carousel. There are pictures of Brazel, her children and grandchildren.

“I have pictures of her hanging up all over the house,” Smiley said. Brazel lived near Smiley’s West Augustine home and the two became close over the years; like “sisters.” They would go to the Nights of Lights event downtown every year together. Smiley stopped going after Brazel disappeared.

“I had a hard time,” Smiley said. “I hope and pray to the Lord ... that me and her kids have some closure.”

The last time Smiley saw Brazel was a Friday, the day before she had planned to move. Smiley was going to take her to a bus stop but ended up calling the Sheriff’s Office instead when she didn’t hear from her friend.

“She was a beautiful person,” Smiley said. “I’m not gonna say ‘was’ — she still is a beautiful person. I don’t know.”

Searching for answers

Smiley and others said Brazel would not have left without telling anyone. She always told Smiley what she was doing and was in touch frequently with her daughter.

Myra Walker, Brazel’s sister, said her luggage is still at her house along with her cigarettes.

Walker said knowing what happened to her sister would be a relief, and she asked people to come forward with information.

“That would give us some comfort,” Walker said. “We could go on with our life.”

Moore said not having her mother around and not knowing what happened to her has been difficult. On Brazel’s birthday, Moore releases balloons into the air. It’s her way of saying happy birthday.

She wants her mother to be there to see her start nursing school. She knows she would be proud. She said she wants someone to come forward with information because knowing what happened would be some comfort.